


Destiny

by jadelovesstarwars



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Darth Vader Needs a Hug, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Luke Skywalker Needs A Hug, POV Darth Vader, POV Luke Skywalker, Parent Darth Vader, Protective Darth Vader, The Force
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-18 02:35:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29851269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jadelovesstarwars/pseuds/jadelovesstarwars
Summary: The Force decides to guild Luke and Vader down a different path, and is not subtle about it. Luke, however, has plans of his own-they will not be working alone. Wedge is excited to kill the Emperor, Piett pretends he wasn't already planning treason, and Veers is just trying to keep them all breathing.Palpatine doesn't stand a chance.
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker | Darth Vader & Luke Skywalker, Firmus Piett & Darth Vader, Firmus Piett & Luke Skywalker, Firmus Piett & Maximilian Veers, Luke Skywalker & Darth Vader, Wedge Antilles & Luke Skywalker
Comments: 19
Kudos: 71





	1. I

Luke knew this place. He wasn’t sure how he knew it, but he did. He shouldn’t… should he? He’d never been to Bespin. It was a nice planet, _‘a city in the clouds’_ , Han had called it. He should have known--if Han ‘knew a guy’, you’d be better off staying the hell away from him. He loved his friend, but he was always trusting the wrong people.

Luke only narrowly avoided the red blade whizzing by his head. 

_Focus, Skywalker!_

His opponent was raging, hacking at his target as fast as possible. It was different from the last time he was here--his opponent was trying to kill him, this time.

But why?

He asked.

“You are pathetic, you are weak. You have no right to call yourself a Skywalker, boy.”

The voice wasn’t his father’s, but it was right. He _was_ weak. Anakin Skywalker was strong.

The voice laughed. 

But it was off. The laugh wasn’t his father’s. It was pure and complete evil. Hatred. For him? He couldn’t tell. It drowned him, muddled his senses. 

He kept pushing.

“He would have won.”

But Luke already knew that.

“He would have been disappointed in you.”

Luke knew that, too.

“He already is.”

The words weren’t his father’s, they didn’t match his deep baritone. But his father was thinking it. Even if he didn’t say it, Luke knew his father was disappointed. So when the too-familiar red blade hummed towards him, he did not block it.

“Luke!”

The man’s eyes flew open. 

_It was a dream. Of course it was. You’ve lost that fight a million times._

The fight, of course, only actually happened once. But that was all it took. He lost more than a limb on Bespin. He lost the only thing he had left of his father--his lightsaber. But it was never really Luke’s, was it? Anakin Skywalker wouldn’t have gone down so easily. Or maybe he would. That was another thing he seemed to have lost--his father. _Everything_ he’d know about him had been a lie. First he was a navigator on a spice freighter, then he was a _dead_ navigator on a spice freighter, then he was a dead Jedi, then he was--

The worst part was that Darth Vader was the only one to have ever told him the truth. That he _was_ his father. 

All his life, Luke had been lied to. And the man he hated the most, the man he had absolutely _despised_ for the past three years turned out to be the same one he admired the most. Or, at least, he _thought_ he admired. Now, he didn’t know what to feel. If his father was Darth Vader, what did that make him? Was he destined to ‘rule the galaxy’, as he had said? He hadn’t lied about being his father. No, he knew that was the truth the moment he said it. So, was he destined to fall?

“Luke, are you okay?”

Luke’s eyes moved to the figure in front of him. Wedge. He groaned. He’d woken him up again. Luke didn’t understand why he didn’t want to move out of their shared quarters, he’d woken him too many times to count with his screaming. 

“Sorry, Wedge…” he said quietly. He checked the chronometer. 0230 in the morning. He sighed again.

“Don’t worry about it, Luke,” his friend said, sitting down next to him on his bunk. Wedge was one of his closest friends, and was, for some reason, still putting up with his nightmares.

“I don’t know what to do, Wedge. They won’t leave me alone.”

“I know, kid. I’m sorry.” Wedge stood up. “Let’s go get something to eat, yeah?”

While Luke definitely liked the idea of not having to go back to sleep, Wedge had lost too much of it because of him.

“Go to sleep, Wedge. I’m gonna go take a walk.” He got up to do just that, but Wedge caught his shoulder. “Nope. We’re going to the mess hall. I’m hungry and something tells me you don’t feel like sleeping.”

Luke smiled. He knew him too well. “Fine, let’s go.”

  
  


Half an hour later, Luke and Wedge were sitting in the empty mess hall, Luke drinking a cup of caf and Wedge eating some kind of fruit. Wedge made a joke about someone from a different squadron, and Luke laughed. He almost made him forget about Bespin. Almost.

“Listen, kid. You know you can tell me anything, right?”

Luke looked at the floor. “Yeah, I know. It’s just… a lot. I don’t even think I’m ready to say it out loud.”

“Then don’t. Write it down or something. Or give me hints.” Wedge said with a smile. 

Luke laughed dejectedly. “I don’t think all the hints in the galaxy would help you figure this one out.”

“Oh, come on, I’m not _that_ clueless!”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“I know, kid, I’m just messing with you. But really, maybe if you told someone, it would help. Keeping it all pent up doesn’t do you any good.”

Luke didn’t think burdening anyone else with the truth would do him any good, either. But… he could trust Wedge. He knew he could. And Wedge, stupid as he was sometimes, would never tell anyone. Maybe if he could just tell Wedge… 

“Alright. But this is… a lot, okay?” He looked Wedge in the eyes now. “It’s a lot. Maybe not to you, but to me. And you’d have to promise never to tell _anyone.”_ Though, that last bit was a little unnecessary.

Wedge looked back at him, the humor from before completely missing. “Of course. It’s okay, Luke.”

Luke sighed. 

“Vader is…”

_If his father was Darth Vader, what did that make him?_

“...really kriffing scary.” He smiled to himself. Wedge groaned in frustration.

“Luke!” 

Luke just laughed. No, he couldn’t tell Wedge. It would ruin everything. Not only would he have to endure Luke’s nightmares, he’d probably see a murderer every time he looked at him. Because Wedge was too good to leave him for something like that, even if he wished more than anything that he could. Luke wouldn’t do that to him.

“Just drop it for now, okay?” Luke asked lightly. Wedge hesitated, then nodded at him. “Alright. I won’t bring it up again.” Luke gave him a sad smile. “Thank you.”

And he didn’t. They talked about other things, like how Stormtroopers never seemed to hit their mark, and about new ships and speeders. They went on like that for a few hours, when Luke’s comm rang. He answered it, and Leia’s voice filled the mess hall, which was steadily filling with other rebels. 

“Luke! Where are you? I went by your quarters, but you weren’t there. Is everything alright?” 

He really wished people would stop asking him that.

“Yes, I’m okay. Wedge and I are in the mess hall. What’s wrong?” 

“We found another one. High Command wants you two to check it out.” 

Luke barely stifled a groan. All they’d allow him to do was explore deserted planets anymore, and he was getting tired of it. He knew it was necessary, they needed somewhere to put a base, but he sure wished they’d send someone else. 

“Where’s the next unlucky planet?” Luke said lowly.

Leia sighed. “I know you hate this, Luke, but there’s nothing I can do about it. I’ve tried to convince them you’re ready for bigger missions again, but they refuse to listen.”

“It’s alright, it isn’t your fault. Could you send me the coordinates?”

“Actually, they want to talk to you for this one.” 

Well. That was never a good sign. Wedge seemed to agree. “Uh oh, what’d we do this time?”

Leia snorted. “Nothing. Why, should we be looking?” Luke laughed and rolled his eyes. 

“We’ll be there in a few minutes.” 

“Alright, I’ll let Mon know.”

He shut off his comm, and walked with Wedge out of the mess hall.

* * *

Darth Vader _really_ hated meditating sometimes. Especially recently. But it was the only way he could rest, anymore. It was the closest he got to sleep.

Even if his ‘rest’ was constantly interrupted by the Force.

He was on Bespin. Again. 

Most times, these ‘dreams’ ended in him mutilating his son again. Why the Force was making him relive such an awful thing, he could only guess--punishment. But his guilt was punishment enough. Losing an arm was how it started, for him, and now he couldn’t even breathe without the assistance of a machine. How could he put his own son through that? He felt sick with hatred at himself for doing it. 

Not that he didn’t _already_ despise his own existence. _It should have been you_ , he’d told himself. _It should have been you that died on Mustafar, not her._ And he’d mostly ignored it, until Bespin.

His son, so bright with power and compassion and purity, would have died before joining him. And, honestly, he didn’t blame him.

But something was different this time. There was a heat--something he’d not felt in over two decades--prickling his skin. Familiar.

Mustafar.

But he wasn’t _on_ Mustafar. He was on Bespin. And so was his son. Vader growled. How long until the Force let up? But the heat was nothing compared to the anguish he knew was coming, the pain that he felt every time he closed his eyes and watched himself cut off his son’s hand.

His son wasn’t armed, this time. 

His heartbeat sped up. Something was different this time. Familiar, again, but what? He took a step towards his son. The boy’s face lit up in recognition. 

“Father!”

And Vader could not control his own body anymore. Nor his voice. 

So when a flesh hand rose to embrace his son, and a clear voice announced his name, he knew something was very, _very_ wrong.

“Luke!” The boy almost jumped into his arms.

“Father, I thought you… I was so worried about you!” His desperation was clear in his voice and in his eyes. His clear, bright blue eyes. 

“Let _me_ do the worrying, young one.” He felt himself smile. “It’s alright, we’re safe now.” He brushed the hair from his son’s eyes with his real hand. He was still so much smaller than him, even without the suit. “But you need to learn to protect yourself. You can only do that through the Dark Side. I’ll help you,” he said, smiling. And he wanted to.

“Father, I can use the light! I don’t need to turn,” his son said gently, his eyebrows creasing slightly. 

“The Light Side can’t help you, it’s too weak. Only the Dark will keep you safe,” he said, frustration beginning to build within him. Why didn’t he understand? The Dark Side could-- _would_ \--protect him.

His son sighed. “Father, all I want is your love.”

No. _No, no, no, no, no. Not this, anything but this._

“Love won’t save you, my son. Only our combined power can do that.”

“But at what cost? Anakin is still in there, I _know_ he is!”

“Anakin was weak. I will _not_ lose you like I lost her,” and now his voice was deepening, his natural tone mingling with that of the vocoder. 

_Do not do this to me._

His son’s face creased even more, but not in disgust or disappointment. In determination.

“Come away with me, father. There is still good in you, and I can prove it. Just let me try.” 

_No!_

“We don’t have to be afraid anymore, Luke. If we work together, we can kill Sidious, and together, you and I can rule the galaxy. Make things the way we want them.”

This was when she had truly given up on him. Vader, for once, was glad; he was ready for this to be over already. He was getting angrier with every second this went on.

But his son…

His son was not her.

“Father, look at me. We can do this together, if only we use the Light Side.” 

He was nearly shaking with anger. Not at his son, exactly, but at the Force.

“Why are you resisting the Dark Side? It is your destiny to rule, your _right_ as a Skywalker. Why can’t you see that?” And, truly, why couldn’t he?

“Father, please!” his son pleaded. He was becoming more desperate. He never looked more like her than he did now. Especially now that they were on that same landing platform again, on that same fiery planet. Luke’s hands were clutching something he was wearing around his neck. _Her necklace_.

“I love you!” 

And, for some reason, that pushed him over the edge. 

He wasn’t even angry at Luke, but he still couldn’t control his body. 

And when he reached out his hand, it was covered in a black glove.

The same black glove he’d used to cut his son’s own hand off.

And suddenly, his son was choking.

_No. Stop this._

Vader couldn’t remember the last time he’d asked for something, let alone _begged_ for it. But he was _begging_ the Force to stop. This was the worst thing he’d experienced since the real thing twenty years ago. His chest hurt, and it wasn’t because the suit was around, helping him breath again. 

_Stop it, stop it,_ **_stop it, stop it_ ** _-_

He was killing his son, like he’d killed her. And he could do nothing but watch.

“Liar!”

“I- fa-” but he could not get a single word out.

Vader never wished to see Kenobi more than he did at that very moment.

He’d stopped him last time, where was he now? **_Where was he?!_ **

He would not show up this time, Vader realized. No, of course not, he’d killed the man on the Death Star.

And so, when his son finally fell to the ground, his small chest no longer rising and falling, he knew it was his own fault. He’d done that, allowed it, caused it. 

But it was not the lack of movement that caused Vader to scream, it was the feeling of his son’s bright, wonderful, perfect presence disappearing right in front of him.

When he opened his eyes, he was back in his chamber. Alarms were sounding and the walls were cracked open. He quickly reattached the mask to his suit. Air was leaving the chamber quickly through the cracks and he would have suffocated if he hadn’t woken back up in time. 

_Maybe that would have been for the best,_ he thought.

He mentally shook himself. While he didn’t care, at this point, if he lived or died, his son needed him. _Her_ son. And whether or not he turned to the Dark Side didn’t matter anymore. Because that horrible vision showed him something. Something he was sure his son could feel.

_Love._

He, without a shadow of a doubt, loved his son.

And he would _not_ allow his presence to disappear. 

* * *

“So, are you guys clear on what you need to do?” Mothma asked.

“Yeah, stay there for two days and find solid ground. Got it.” Luke said.

“Good. Let us know when you land, and if you get into any trouble. The journey will take you about six hours, since there are no direct hyperspace lanes from here to Ryn’Ja. You’ll have to…”

Luke stopped listening. He could feel an agony piercing through the bond that had fallen into place on Bespin. Not a physical pain, but it seemed that would be preferred over whatever his… father was going through. He wanted to reach out, but he knew his attempts at comfort would be read wrong. He cared about his father, despite everything he’d done, but that didn’t mean he wanted to join him.

It was reaching the point where Luke nearly passed out, until it abruptly stopped. Wedge was holding him up and Mothma was holding his face with a concerned look painted on her own.

They were saying something, likely asking if he was okay, but he couldn’t hear them.

He could only hear the buzzing of the Force, nearly deafening now. But it wasn’t pain or anger anymore. It was… 

It was love. 

Luke wasn’t sure how he knew it but he was sure the emotion pouring from the bond was love. Despite how little sense it made. His father didn’t love him. So why was he feeling it so intensely?

Apparently Vader could sense his own growing curiosity, because the feeling cut off quickly.

But it was there. Somehow, someway, Vader had felt… _love._

Luke smiled, and knew he probably looked insane, but he didn’t care.

“Sorry about that. Let’s get going, Wedge. We have a lot to do.”

And that was more true than either of them realized.

Because, at that very moment, the true destinies of the two most powerful beings in the galaxy shifted into place.


	2. II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some decisions are made. Luke trips.

Luke smiled at the sight of Ryn’Ja when they dropped out of hyperspace. Even from atmo, he could tell he would enjoy a break here. Because, really, that’s why they were sending him on missions like this. Wedge just happened to benefit from it, too.

This was how it had been for a few weeks--High Command would send him to some random planet to see if it was worth the time to take over. Well, ‘take over’ was a bit far, but they’d certainly made a mess of Hoth. He almost felt bad for the wretched creatures that called the icicle home. Almost.

The descent to the surface was gentle, and Luke was excited to be able to breathe fresh air.

“Come on, Luke! If we move fast, we won’t have to stay here long,” Wedge yelled from the cockpit of his X-Wing.

_Unless there’s something wrong with this planet, too,_ Luke thought, but as the other man’s technical superior, he’d never complain like that out loud. Even if they’d been doing this all month.

He jumped from his own cockpit onto the soft grass. He was right, the air was cool and clear, and the plant life around them was bright and inviting. It seemed overall pleasant. Luke figured he’d have Leia to thank for that. 

“This one seems nice…” Wedge said, scanning his surroundings. He was, less gracefully, exiting his ship as well. “But considering our last mission, that’s not saying much. At least this one’s not trying to eat us,”

“Yeah…” But now, Luke was only half-paying attention. Something wasn’t right, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. He could feel something changing, something in the Force. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on it. 

“Uh oh. You’ve got that look on your face. What is it this time?” Wedge asked, and to anyone else, he might seem annoyed. Luke knew better. “Something’s changed.” 

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know. All I can feel is that something big just happened. Something silent.”

“Oh… right.”

Luke opened his eyes and met Wedge’s. “Sorry. Let’s get going.”

“Right behind you.”

But Luke couldn’t stop thinking about whatever had just happened. He felt something big, something monumental change. A decision, or a discovery. 

And he couldn’t help but wonder if it had something to do with his father. Considering what he’d felt from their bond the previous day, it wasn’t too much of a stretch.

They walked for about a few hours trying to find a flat space big enough for a small base, chatting about anything and everything. Luke was reminded of fixing up vaporators with Biggs back on Tatooine, and was glad to have someone like that around again.

“You know, this place is pretty romantic… got anyone in mind?” Wedge said, elbowing him and wiggling his brows.

Luke laughed and rolled his eyes. Alright, so maybe it wasn’t exactly like fixing vaporators.

“Yeah, I got someone in mind,” he said, doing his best over the top seductive voice he could muster. He was thoroughly out of practice, considering he’d… well, never actually used it.

And if Wedge’s booming laugh was any indicator, it was very obvious. It was a good thing he knew he was being mocked, otherwise Luke would have been embarrassed. He wasn’t that bad, was he? 

“Don’t worry about it, Skywalker. You don’t need charm to attract someone, that’d be overkill,” Wedge said. 

Luke looked over at him, this time, meeting his eyes. “What do you mean?” Not that he cared what Wedge thought. It was just… an odd thing to say.

“Nothing, Luke. Let’s just say you have more going for you than whatever comes out of your mouth,” Wedge replied. But before he could even ask about what that meant, Wedge was changing the subject. 

“We’ve been walking for a while. I think we should set up here,” he said. They’d found a small clearing, and while Luke didn’t want to sleep just yet, he knew they wouldn’t find another spot like this.

“You’re probably right. I’ll start putting the tents up.” He dumped the contents from his bag on the ground and began putting up the small tents while Wedge gathered wood for a fire.

“So, you remember how High Command told me to stay back, earlier?” Wedge started slowly.

“Yeah, what was that about?” Luke asked, struggling with a piece of fabric. 

“Don’t freak out, but they wanted me to try to get you to tell me what happened on Bespin.”

The supports Luke was struggling with nearly snapped.

“They _what?_ What did you say?!”

“I said no, of course!” Wedge replied defensively. “I told them what you told me, that you weren’t ready to talk about it yet. That if they wanted to get someone to spy on you or whatever they’d need to find someone else.” 

Luke looked up at Wedge. 

“You… said that to them?” Luke asked mildly.

“Yeah. You’d do the same for me.” Wedge said. Luke grinned, and grunted as the tent popped up successfully. “They could have demoted you, Wedge!” Wedge, however, just waved him off. “It’s fine, Luke. I don’t know why they expected me to agree to it. Just… maybe don’t tell them I told you?” 

Luke rolled his eyes. “Why would I tell them? I don’t really feel like telling them _anything_ , right about now, to be honest.” 

Wedge lit the fire and began unpacking their dinner. “I’m sorry, kid. I know it hasn’t been easy for you, past few weeks. I wish I could get them off your back.” 

Luke wished that, too. He was tired of people asking him about Bespin. He came back alive and in… mostly one piece. He didn’t reveal anything about the Alliance and Vader didn’t reveal anything about the Empire. What happened there was personal, and High Command just couldn’t seem to accept that.

“Come on, let’s see what garbage we’re being forced to eat this time,” Wedge said. 

Luke was glad for the attempted distraction.

* * *

Captain Firmus Piett of the Super Star Destroyer _Executor_ thought for sure he was about to die. There was very little chance that Lord Vader simply wanted to ‘talk’ in his office. Whatever Piett had done wrong, it must have been bad enough for Darth Vader to call him in personally. He sighed. _You signed up for this, Firmus,_ an annoying voice in his head told him. And, sure, maybe he did, but when Darth Vader asks for you by name to fill a role, you might assume you’re safe for the time being, too. 

But no. Darth Vader was not simple, and he was _never_ predictable. Perhaps that worked in his favor; his subordinates were the hardest working in the Imperial Navy. 

It was because of this that Piett, who almost _knew_ he was marching towards his death, respected Darth Vader. 

The moment he reached the door to Lord Vader’s office, it slid open, revealing Lord Vader towering in front of his desk with his arms crossed, and General Maximilian Veers sitting silently in front of him. 

Okay, so maybe he _wasn’t_ about to die.

“Captain. Take a seat. We’ve much to discuss,” Vader announced. Piett nodded and sat down. The door slid shut behind him.

“Before we begin, I have a few questions for the both of you.” 

Piett and Veers nodded in sync. _Were they being investigated for something?_

“What are your opinions of the Emperor?” 

Piett felt his normally-resilient mask fall in shock, but he answered quickly. “Well, he’s… he is a competent leader,” Piett lied, looking expectantly at Veers. The man shrugged feebly.

Neither of them had any respect left for the man, in all honesty. There was a war going on, and what did Palpatine do? He sat in his office in Coruscant ordering his military around. He likely found everyone around him expendable, and seemed to only care for himself. Unfortunately, there was nothing anyone could do, and the Rebellion, if given the chance, would just reinstate the Republic. The Republic that had fallen for a reason. They could not give in to chaos.

Lord Vader seemed to sense his dishonesty. “I am not asking for your official opinion, Captain. If we are to continue this conversation, I ask that the both of you be completely honest,” and he began pacing. “I will not hold it against you if we do not agree on something. So, I will ask again.” The mask met the two officers head-on. “What are your opinions of Palpatine?”

Piett stilled. _Palpatine._ Not ‘the Emperor’, not ‘my master’. _Palpatine._ Oh, he _knew_ where this was going. And he very much liked it.

“I believe there are many areas in which his… _authority_ is questionable.” Piett admitted. Veers reared his head in shock at him, but Piett continued. “Slavery thrives within the Outer Rim, as well as piracy. Many positions of power are filled through genealogy, instead of experience.” He could almost feel Veers’ astonishment at his stupidity. But Piett knew what he was doing, now.

“You find his rule to be _insufficient_.” Vader paused. “That, Captain, is something we can agree on.” 

Veers could not hold back his gasp. Lord Vader looked to him.

“General, I was under the impression you felt the same. Am I incorrect in my assumption?” And to anyone else, the words would sound threatening. But both Captain and General knew this was a sincere question. Veers recovered quickly. “I… do. I was simply not expecting you to share the sentiment, my lord.” Lord Vader nodded.

“And what of me?”

Veers stammered. 

A static sounded from the mask. “I am not asking for flattery. I want the both of you to be honest, and no matter what you feel, I can assure you, you will both be leaving here unharmed.” 

Piett spoke first, giving his friend time to recover. 

“I trust I speak for both of us when I say we have the utmost respect for you, my lord. Whatever it is you need from us,” _please be treason, please be treason, please be treason,_ “we will do it without question.” 

“That is… quite the commitment. General?” The helmet turned towards Max.

“I agree, my lord. You are fair, and you treat your troops with respect and do not tolerate insolence. Whatever it is you are asking of us, we will do our best to fulfil it.”

Lord Vader paused for a cycle.

“I admire your loyalty to me, but you should know that what I am asking of you will be difficult, and if you are to accept, that loyalty _must_ be unwavering.”

But Piett, and Veers, he figured, knew exactly what he was going to ask. So he finished for him.

“It would be an honor to assist you in removing Palpatine, my lord,” and now he was physically unable to hide his smirk.

Lord Vader did not miss a beat. “Very well.”

Max sighed next to him. “I need a drink,” he muttered. But Piett knew what he was thinking. 

“You have General Veers’ support, as well. His troops are loyal to him, and to you as well.” 

Lord Vader nodded in satisfaction, then hesitated. “There is… one other matter I must discuss. What I am about to tell you _cannot_ leave this room. You will tell no one, not even your most trusted troopers.” 

Piett felt confusion tug at him. “Of course, my lord.”

“The pilot that destroyed the Death Star. You are both familiar with him, yes?”

“Skywalker, right?” Veers offered.

“Correct. The boy is my son.”

Oh.

_Oh._

Piett stupidly felt everything click in his mind. Why Lord Vader was so obsessed with finding Skywalker, why he demanded that he remain unharmed. Why he was so… _angry_ after Bespin. The boy, and he really was a boy, was Lord Vader’s son. 

Lord Vader, first in line to rule if something were to happen to Palpatine.

Piett knew how the man hated politics, but hadn’t even wondered that far ahead. Who would take Palpatine’s place? Not Lord Vader, he knew.

No, his _son_.

Piett could hear the same cogs turning in Max’s head.

“I...see. I assume he is to take part in this plan, as well?”, Piett inquired.

“That is my plan, though it would not shock me if the boy wanted nothing more to do with me. His… willingness to take down Palpatine, however, may outweigh his hatred for me.” And that made Piett’s heart hurt. Sure, they were on opposite sides of the war, but if Lord Vader clearly cared about his son as much as his tone suggested, Skywalker would return the gesture? He wasn’t sure, and he didn’t think it was his place to worry about it.

“Very well. Is that all for now, my lord?”

“Yes. I will contact you if I have need of you. You are both dismissed.”

Piett nodded and stood up to leave. Veers, though a bit slower, followed. The door slid open for them, and Piett walked out feeling more excited than he had in years.

* * *

Veers needed a drink.

* * *

Luke finished his dinner--a stew, which he tried to ignore the taste of--and sat down on his mat. The sun was setting and he could hear birds and other small animals chirping around him. 

Wedge was looking around nearby when Luke felt a nudge. The Force, it seemed, had a sense of humor recently. First the… _whatever_ that was with his father, then the strange feeling when he arrived, and now this.

Luke sighed. At least, this time, it seemed the Force wanted to tell him something. Or show him. Yes, definitely show him. He stood up and stretched. “Fine. Don’t know why you can’t just show me _here_ , but whatever…” he muttered. He knew the Force didn’t exactly work that way--at least, he didn’t think it did--but giving his ire a target made him feel a little better.

He began walking around the buzzing forest, eyes closed, following the Force’s suggestions. He began to feel pricks of… not words, exactly, but ideas. _Luke, with a green lightsaber raised defensively._ He moved quicker. _His presence in the vision was pure, it was light._ He let the Force guide his legs. _Next to him, his father, his red blade raised in front of his son. But not in offense. He was… protecting him?_ He let the Force fill him until his physical body was no more. _His father stood next to him, slightly in front in a way that he knew he was being protected, and together, they raised their weapons, their target one and the same. His father’s presence was different, but familiar. It was A-_

Luke would never know _what_ the presence was, because suddenly the vision was yanked from his mind and he was falling. He screamed in shock, and then again in pain. 

He looked up, tears quickly fogging his vision, and realized he’d fallen from a steep cliff. 

His mind and right leg pounded, and before he could yell for help, his vision faded out.

* * *

Vader was buzzing with satisfaction. Piett and Veers, two of the most competent officers he knew, had agreed to help him overthrow Sidious. Without question, even. 

Now all he needed was his son.

He began reaching out through the bond, but stopped himself. If Sidious was listening… 

Vader wasn’t even completely sure if he _could_ listen through their bond, but he did not want to risk it. He’d have to try something else.

The Force seemed to agree. His mind fogged and he saw his son walking far too close to a cliff, clearly in a trance. He called out to him, but the boy did not hear him. He reached out, but Luke had already fallen.

_No!_

Vader nearly doubled over.

**_Where?!_ ** _,_ he demanded.

_Ryn’Ja_ , something answered.

“General Veers!” 

Veers scrambled to meet him, quickly saluting. “My lord?”

“Find Captain Piett, and have him redirect us to the Ryn system immediately.”

“Of course, my lord. Did something happen?” He asked, already comming Piett.

“Very. My son is in danger.” he said quietly, before stalking off.

* * *

  
Veers _really_ needed a drink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This might be the last chapter for a while, gonna be knocked out for at least a week, but I'll try my best to update whenever I can.


End file.
